The present invention is related to storage bins for refrigerators and more specifically to a storage bin which is adjustable with an upwardly or downwardly movement within a cavity defined in a refrigerator door.
In the refrigerator doors of the previous art, an inner door liner is formed from a suitable plastic sheet, which includes integral shelves for storing refrigerated food items. Each shelf has an associated retainer to provide lateral support for items being stored on the shelves, and, in particular, for preventing stored items from tipping or sliding off the shelves when the refrigerator door is swung open or closed. The shelves and retainer may be of any desired length depending on the configuration and size of the refrigerator door.
Also, it is well know that a great variety of items are accommodated on the shelves of the refrigerator door, which are of different sizes and forms.
However one of the disadvantages of the previous art, is that in some cases is not possible to accommodate an item (depending of height or volume) on the shelves, and the user requires to place the item in other position i.e. in a horizontal position, within of the cabinet of the refrigerator.
In order to solve the problems of the previous art, removable or adjustable bins were proposed in various U.S. patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,010 of Les A. Jeziorowski issued on Aug. 22, 1989, provides a refrigerator door bin assembly that includes a refrigerator door with an inner liner having a cavity defined by a rear wall and two forwardly projecting supporting side walls. Each of the side walls includes an inwardly projecting shoulder having an upwardly facing ledge that slopes downwardly toward the rear wall at a predetermined angle. A bin is provided for insertion into the cavity between the side walls. The bin comprises upstanding walls each having an outwardly extending arm. The arm has a downwardly facing surface that slopes downwardly at the predetermined angle such that the downwardly facing surface of the arm is adapted to at least partially engage the ledge during insertion and lie flush on the ledge once inserted into the cavity. The bin further includes laterally extending flanges adapted to engage the ends of the supporting side walls so as to cooperate with the arms and ledges to positively locate the bin in the door cavity. The flanges help to locate the bin above the shoulders in the door liner so that the bin can move downwardly into engagement with the shoulders to positively locate the bin in the cavity.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,544 of Robert G. Lau issued on Mar. 13, 1990, provides a storage bin mounting system, which includes a pin and hook arrangement that prevents large bins from being mounted on certain areas of a refrigerator door to prevent interference with refrigerator members mounted in the refrigerator compartment opposite to those areas of the door.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,315 of Metcalfe, et al, issued on May 1, 1990, is related to a refrigeration apparatus having a plurality of containers removably stored on the inner liner portion of the refrigeration apparatus door. Releasable locking structure is provided for retaining the containers in association with the door, notwithstanding the normal movement thereof in the ordinary use of the refrigeration apparatus.
Finally, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,924 of Douglas A. Pohl issued on Dec. 27, 1994, provides a refrigerator door bin assembly in which the inner door panel has opposite sidewalls defining a space, a bin having support surfaces on opposite sides of the bin and a mounting device to removably and adjustably attach the bin to the door such that the bin is located between the opposite sidewalls of the door and such that its position may be easily adjusted, or the bin removed from the door. The mounting of the bin on the door is accomplished by a plurality of ribs extending inwardly from the opposite sidewalls of the door, each rib having first and second rib surfaces which extend at acute angles to the support surfaces on the bin, and a third rib surface which extends substantially parallel to the support surfaces.
However, for adjusting the door bins in a refrigerator door and for accommodating a range of items placed therein in different sizes, the user require to remove the items of the bin; removing the bin from the interior space of the refrigerator, locating the bin in a different position, and accommodating again the items on the bin. The bin is located on a plurality of ribs, which are extending inwardly from the opposite sidewalls of the door, each rib having first and second rib surfaces which extend at acute angles to support surfaces on the bin.
So, depending upon design, there are more or less tendency toward to remove and locate the bins in different positions within the refrigerator door. However, in all the cases, is necessary to remove and accommodate the bin in different positions in order to facilitate the organization of the items.
In accordance with the above, the present invention is related to a storage bin mounting system for a refrigerator, which includes a storage bin that is provided with two side walls, a rear wall, a front wall and a bottom wall. The rear wall of the storage bin is configured in accordance with a rear wall of a refrigerator door. The side walls having a vertical slot defined between a first slide support and a second slide support; and at least a resilient tab member, said resilient tab member being projected outwardly from the edge of the rear wall, each resilient tab member having a snap like-member, and a finger pull flange in order to the user can pull back the tab members of the storage bin. The bin is associated with an inner liner of a refrigerator door. The inner liner including side walls which extend forwardly of a rear wall to define a cavity therebetween. The side walls of the liner are provided with a vertical rib raised from each side wall proximate to the front of the inner liner. The vertical rib including a bottom rib connected horizontally with the vertical rib, which is projected toward the rear wall of the inner liner. A guide rail is located in a vertical position at the bottom of both side walls of the liner, which is located in a parallel position with respect to each vertical rib. At least a plurality of recesses are located in a vertical position at the rear wall of the inner liner, each recesses including a horizontal bottom face and an upwardly arcuate triangle face. The recesses are created to receive said movable tab member of the bin. So, when the user requires to adjust the bin, the resilient tab member is dislodged and the bin can be slidable with an upwardly or downwardly movement on the vertical rib of the inner liner. The height of the bin will be adjusted in accordance with the size of the items and will not be necessary to remove the bin from the refrigerator door.
In accordance with the above, a first objective of the present invention is to provide a storage bin mounting system for a refrigerator, which is adjusted upwardly or downwardly on a cavity defined in the inner liner of a refrigerator door.
Is other objective of the present invention, to provide a storage bin mounting system for a refrigerator, in which the bin does not require to be removed from the inner liner of the refrigerator door to be adjusted to the new size of the items.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a storage bin mounting system for a refrigerator, wherein the bin includes flexible tabs that are easily dislodged of a plurality of recesses formed in the inner liner of a refrigerator door in order to adjust the bin at a desired height by the user.
An additional objective of the present invention is to provide a storage bin mounting system for a refrigerator, wherein the bin is mounted on a vertical rib raised in a side wall proximate to the front of the inner liner, which permits that the bin can be slidable mounted within a cavity defined in the refrigerator door.
These and other objectives and additional advantages of the present invention will be made evident to experts in the field in the following detailed description of the invention, which will make reference to a specific embodiment of the invention in an illustrative, but not limiting sense.